Your Wednesday headline read, “A Congress divided” (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 7). It is power, not Congress, that has been divided here. Divided as in shared, as it should be.

We now have at least a chance of restoring the separation and balance of powers outlined in the Constitution, of getting back to a Congress that assumes its role of lawmaking, debate and oversight. This new Congress may actually understand that in America lawmakers owe their first loyalty not to party or the executive, however powerful, but to the Constitution and their constituents.

As of Tuesday, Congress resembles the public more closely in gender and ethnicity, in age and in income level, and in attitudes toward issues of pressing concern to most Americans, including health care, education, gun sense, voting rights, global warming and education. They could rescue us from the current rule-by-fiat and return to good old-fashioned representative government.

Sue Cowing

Kuliouou-Kalani Iki

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